Hand Gestures!

Gestures are a form of body language or non-verbal communication. Although some gestures, such as the ubiquitous act of pointing, differ little from one place to another, most gestures do not have invariable or universal meanings, having specific connotations only in certain cultures. Different types of gestures are distinguished. The most famous type of gestures are the so-called emblems or quotable gestures. These are cultures specific gestures that can be used as replacement for words. Communities have repertoires of such gestures. A single emblematic gesture can have very different significance in different cultural contexts, ranging from complimentary to highly offensive.

There are many types of hand gestures such as the A-ok, Air Kiss, Thumbs Up, High Five, Namaste, Hook em' Horns, and etc. I'm going to explain one of the hand gestures, and we'll look deeper into it and not forgetting, how we apply and use it in our daily life. The hand gesture i'll be talking about is the V Sign! :)

The "V sign" is made by lifting and separating the middle and index finger with the palm of the hand facing the recipient (and the remaining fingers clenched). It was associated with the catchphrase "V" for Victory in World War II. It was associated with British prime minister Winston Churchill during World War II, and later, with U.S. president Richard Nixon. In the 1960s, it came to be known as the sign"peace", the gestural equivalent of the peace symbol. This sign is frequently used by the Japanese, most times holding up 2 "V" signs very close to either side of their face with a big grin during pictures. In the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and some other countries, reversing the V sign so that the back of the hand faces the recipient is seen as the equivalent of giving the finger. In these cultures, it is often referred to as the "two finger salute". Popular myth supposes it was originally a taunt by Welsh longbow archers (fighting for the English) made towards the French who were known to cut off an archer's first and middle fingers if captured.


Done by: Bryan Lim (: